


The Kiss

by Theyna_Shipper



Series: Star Wars One-Shots [27]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: 'Recreate this painting in Quarantine', Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Il Bacio Francisco Hayez, Mutual Pining, Quarantine, and they were ROOMMATES, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:43:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25412593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theyna_Shipper/pseuds/Theyna_Shipper
Summary: Rey and Ben couldn't be happier to be quarantined together. They get along perfectly and are best friends. Their feelings for each other couldn't possibly get in the way.Until Rey gets assigned to re-create a painting at home for quarantine homework.The painting? Francisco Hayez'sThe Kiss.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: Star Wars One-Shots [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1637683
Comments: 13
Kudos: 88





	The Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! Here's a fun quarantine au that's been bouncing around my head for a while. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Painting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kiss_(Hayez)

If there is one person Ben would choose to be quarantined with, it’s Rey. She’s talkative but never makes him talk, neat but not fussy, bakes for both of them, and is generally one of his only friends. 

If there is one person Rey would choose to be quarantined with, it’s Ben. He’s the person who never complains when she talks without waiting for his response, keeps the apartment tidy, makes dinner for her, and is probably one of her closest friends.

Their feelings for each other, obvious to everyone but themselves, are beside the point. 

And when they _are_ quarantined together, in their apartment just off-campus, everything should be perfect, right? It’s not ideal; they’ll have to finish their junior year online, but at least they’ll have each other. Maybe the world will be back to normal next year. 

Nothing about this should make anyone uncomfortable.

* * *

After spring break has finished, and everyone’s preparing for this new version of school, Rey notices a new assignment on her Blackboard page. 

_Welcome back!_

_As we all know, the rest of the semester is going to be a little different now. With this in mind, I’ve posted a fun new assignment for you to try in quarantine!_

_By now, you all should have received grades on your midterm essays. I’d like you all to revisit the paintings you wrote about, and try to recreate them using only things you have in your home, dorm, or apartment._

_Check the assignments page for more information and rubric._

_Professor Holdo_

This could be fun. Rey’s already seen a few of these at-home art creations on social media (she follows a LOT of museums) and they’re very clever. She’ll just have to consult her painting again and-

Oh. 

Oh no. 

At the time, Francesco Hayez’s _Il Bacio_ had felt like a fun choice. But now, she’ll have to recreate it in quarantine… with someone else… and clearly the only other option is her roommate, Ben. 

Maybe she can get out of the assignment. Or switch paintings. But even as she tries to be “fun” Amilyn Holdo is a strict teacher and won’t let her change it unless she physically _can’t_ complete the assignment. 

Which means she just has to explain to Ben that she needs him to kiss her in a photo for homework. Nothing at all odd about that. She can do this.

* * *

“Ummm… Ben. Can I ask you for a favor?”

_Of course. Anything you need. I’ll do anything for you, just say the word._ Except that’s not what Ben says. “Sure, what is it?”

“I- um- need to take a photo. Of us.”

“I didn’t realize you were doing a photography credit this semester.” He knows Rey’s majoring in art, and has taken photography in the past, but he was pretty sure she wasn’t this semester. 

“Oh. Um, no. It’s for my Romantic Paintings class. The teacher wants us to do one of those ‘re-create this painting in quarantine’ things, for the paintings we wrote our midterm essays on.”

“Oh, I saw one of those on Instagram.” Rey’s forced him to follow art accounts on social media- _’Just because you’re an engineer doesn’t mean you can’t have any **culture** , Ben’-_ and he knows what museums are doing with the quarantine. “So, what’s the painting?” 

“That’s- um.” Rey’s entire face is red, and he’s not sure he’s ever seen her this flustered. “Here, I’ll just pull up a photo.”

Rey hands him her phone, where a painting he might have seen once before is pulled up on her browser. 

“Oh.”

It shows two people in front of a stone wall, a man in red and a woman and blue. 

Kissing. 

Intensely. 

“I know it’s weird and I’m so sorry I have to ask you for this but Professor Holdo is really scary and I really don’t want to have to ask her- and, you know what, this is stupid, I shouldn’t have to ask you this, never mind-”

“Rey.” He cuts her off so that she can’t keep spiralling. “It’s fine. Seriously. It can just be- like a stage kiss, right? I know you take that class seriously. It’s not a big deal.” Not a big deal at all. Rey wants him to kiss him for a camera. He’ll be fine. He won’t die if she so much as _touches_ him because she’s so beautiful. 

“Really? Thank you so much you’re amazing I’ll make you a cake. Or something. Bye!” The last bit is said about three octaves higher than her normal voice. 

As he hears Rey’s bedroom door close, he slowly lowers his head to the table. 

This isn’t good.

* * *

As Rey researches how people are doing these photographs, she realizes it will be a little more complicated than she thought. Even if it’s just a stage kiss, they’ll have to hold it for a little while. And possibly get someone else to take the photo. 

There’s also the matter of finding period-appropriate clothes lying around the apartment. Of course, she’ll be facing the back, so maybe her pale blue v-neck will work. She can use that handkerchief with the big hole in it for a lace cuff. And she’s pretty sure the old curtains (which they _still_ haven’t sold on Craigslist) are about the right shade for the skirt. 

When she comes out to look for the curtain, she sees Ben holding three different coats and looking at a picture on his phone.

“I know the guy in the painting is wearing a cape, but this is probably the closest I have?” He holds out a brown peacoat. 

“It’s perfect,” Rey squeaks. She has successfully managed to be Ben’s roommate for half a semester without developing feelings for him (an impressive feat considering his stupid pretty face and general niceness), and than continued for the rest of that semester plus _most_ of this one keeping them well under wraps. 

Now, though? Now she’s begging him to _kiss_ her- for homework admittedly- but how she’ll handle this, she doesn’t know

“What are you going to do for the red tights?” Rey jokes to break the tension. “Do you still have your red knee socks from lacrosse?”

Ben drops the jacket. “How did you find those? I haven’t done lacrosse since high school!” 

Rey laughs. “Did you think the laundry fairy was doing your laundry? You need to wash different colors in separate loads, Ben.”

And suddenly they’re back into their old rhythms of talking and laughing and making fun of each other teasingly and it’s easy to forget for a moment that this could be more complicated. 

“Anway, I’ll tell Poe to help us with the photo. I don’t think a timer will work,” she finishes. “And really, thanks for doing this.” 

“My ple- not a problem,” Ben replies. Rey’s pretty sure she imagined that first part. 

She doesn’t notice him watching her longingly as she leaves.

* * *

**Rey: Hey we need you to help us with a thing  
Standing 6 feet away and wearing a mask**

**Poe: sure what is it**

**Ben: Rey needs you to take a photo of us for her Romantic paintings class.**

**Rey: We’re trying to re-create this painting:**

**Poe: damn!!!!  
u 2 are gonna look so cute together**

**Rey: Very funny  
It’s just homework  
I didn’t even choose the painting**

**Poe: don’t get me excited like that**

**Ben: Just take the damn photo.**

* * *

“Ben, does my hair look right?” She spins to display the slightly curled locks running down her back. 

He compares it to the printout. “Perfect. And my hat?” An inside-out newsboy cap that the old owner had left proved to be the closest option, and looked more or less right with a feather stuck in it. 

“You look just like a Renaissance nobleman,” Rey promises. She drags the stepladder that’s been covered in some cloth over into position. Not tripping over her curtain half-skirt is proving both difficult and sweaty. “Are you ready, dear sir?” she asks jokingly. 

“Indeed, m’lady.” 

They laugh and pretend their awkward kiss isn’t mere minutes away. Rey goes to unlock the door so that Poe can open it, then texts him that they’re ready. 

Positioning them proves more awkward than they imagined, and brings back memories of high school theatre. 

“Your leg should be on that step- and then I just-”

“Between them,” Poe prompts helpfully. 

Rey rolls her eyes, but steps into position, now feeling hot and not just because of her curtain-skirt. “Is my hand on his hair?”

Ben looks to the reference photo. “No, just below.”

“Right.” She resists the urge to touch his silky pretty hair and instead rests her hand just below it. The other one isn’t visible in the painting, so she hides it underneath his coat and on his sturdy shoulder. _This is fine._

“And mine?” Ben asks. 

“One on her cheek and on one her hair.”

“Careful,” Rey whispers as he pulls her close. “It took me two hours to curl this.”

He’s very gentle and careful, which makes staying in control much harder. 

“You know, this was originally painted as a veiled political statement. Hence the shadowy corner,” she murmurs while they wait for Poe to set up the shot. 

“Interesting,” he whispers back, studying her face far more intensely than required. 

“OK, I’m ready! You might have to hold it for a bit, though.”

Rey leans in so that their lips are mere millimeters apart. “They don’t even need to touch.” 

After they hold the pose for nearly thirty seconds, Poe finally speaks. “Ben, she’s not made of glass; you aren’t going to break her. Rey, you’re kind of frozen like a deer in headlights.” Rey tries to relax, and feels Ben tighten his hold in her, but Poe’s not satisfied. “Did you guys, like, practice this at all?”

“I mean, we practiced the framing and everything but not…”

“Maybe you should.”

Rey looks up at Ben. “If you don’t want to-”

“It’s fine-”

“You’re sure-”

“Of course.”

So he pulls her in slowly, presses a delicate and chaste kiss to her lips, and leaves her wanting more. 

“Much better,” Poe decides. “Try that. And hold it.”

This time she finds her lips pushing against his in response, and he pulls her closer and holds her in, and they don’t hear Poe tell them he’s done. 

“Guys? Everything okay?” But they hold their position. “GUYS!”

Rey pulls away suddenly and is smacked with realization of what just happened. “Ah-”

“Send her the photo, Poe?” Ben suggests, still holding Rey. 

“Geez, get a room,” Poe mutters as he closes the door.

* * *

“Did I tell you I got an A on our assignment, Ben?” Rey calls across the apartment. 

“Congratulations, babe,” Ben replies from the kitchen. 

“I guess my kissing was just that good, hm?” She smirks as she pops her head in. 

“I’m not quite sure I remember,” he replies as he walks closer. “Remind me?”

“Gladly,” Rey agrees.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Your comments make my day <3


End file.
